This quote from Winston Churchill really emphasizes the importance of service. Through this statement, Churchill explains that we only get out of life what we give others.

Service is funny.

Although you may receive no physical reward for your labour, volunteering can still be one of the most rewarding things you could ever do. I personally have done a lot of volunteer work in my life (my mom was crazy about it), and I have come to understand that it is an incredibly positive use of time.

One opportunity that has impacted me greatly in recent times has been my involvement with an organization called Habitat for Humanity. Habitat is a company that pursues the goal of providing shelter to every human on Earth. This is definitely an idealistic mission, but an absolutely admirable one to work for. I have volunteered for Habitat for little over a year now and I have found their work to be extremely inspiring. In my time with this company I have assisted to build/renovate 6 different homes. In these 6 homes I have interacted with all kinds of needy families and seen how much we were able to impact their lives. Many of these families would never have been able to own their own home. They could always rent an apartment, but that was a constant financial burden that made things like college and surplus pleasures out of the question.

While working with these families, I have heard all kinds of stories about people who now have that chance to live in their own homes and gain that sense of pride that comes with. This is no light accomplishment - it leads many of these families to have much more fulfilling lives, sending their children to college and working themselves out of the situation they never before thought was possible to escape.

I chose to volunteer because it was necessary.

I didn’t choose to volunteer because I had to. No one was telling me to do it. No one was making me, but I had to do it nonetheless.

I have always felt that if I was not helping others in some way, I was not really accomplishing anything at all. So I have been volunteering for much of my life and this is something that has been ingrained into my being. Helping others, seeing the look on their faces when you make their day... THAT is something to wake up for in the morning. It may not yield any financial benefits, but spiritually and mentally it is incredibly rewarding.

In closing, I recommend that everyone takes the steps to volunteer today. It will not only improve how you view yourself, but also give you valuable work experience that makes you more desirable in the job market. Volunteering is a complete win-win situation for all of those involved, it’s a no-brainer! So start looking for how you can get involved with your community as soon as possible, and, if there is a Habitat for Humanity in your area, I highly recommend pursuing that as your first choice!